If you've had your furnace for several winter seasons, you know how it’s supposed to sound. So you might be caught off guard if the system starts making weird noises. Some noises — like a couple of small pops or clicks ahead of the warm air beginning to blow — are perfectly harmless. But others could affect the equipment or even endanger your health if you ignore them. While there are many more furnace noises to consider, here are nine that are worthy of an immediate furnace repair.
Scraping Furnace Noise
The moment you hear a sound like metal scraping on metal, this could indicate the blower wheel is becoming detached from the motor shaft, or the wheel or motor mount is broke. Regardless of the exact problem, you should turn off your furnace if you notice a scraping sound and call a professional for an emergency repair.
Loud Boom at Startup
When your furnace starts up, the burners should ignite quickly and start heating your home. A loud boom at startup potentially means the burners are dirty, producing a delayed ignition. When the gas eventually does ignite, you hear this shocking furnace noise.
A small boom each time your furnace turns on could crack the heat exchanger, a costly repair that may necessitate you to switch out the entire furnace. Don't wait to act when you hear a noise like that! Shut off your furnace if you hear a loud boom at startup, and don’t use it again until it has been repaired.
Squealing or Whining Sounds
A screaky or loud squealing furnace noise usually indicates poor lubrication. Shaft bearings and other moving parts require lightweight oil to operate smoothly. If these parts are dry, components rub against each other and cause unnecessary wear and tear. Our recommendation is to have this situation remedied right away to protect against premature furnace failure.
Chirping Noise
The sound of a bird caught in your furnace absolutely warrants investigation. If you notice chirping during the first furnace cycle of the season, it could merely mean your furnace is warming up after an extended period of no use. In this case, the sound should dissipate after a few cycles.
However, if the chirping continues, it could mean the pulley for the blower motor is misaligned or the mounting plate is coming in contact with the blower wheel. This isn’t automatically a safety threat, but the only option to stop the annoying furnace noise is to have a technician perform a repair.
Screeching Furnace
Screeching noises are clear and certain signs that the fan belt is deteriorating. If the fraying belt splits, it could whip around inside the furnace, breaking other components and leading to a much more expensive repair. Insulate yourself from this hassle by changing the worn-out belt sooner rather than later.
Repeated Clicking.
Some furnaces give off a quick series of clicks when they turn on and off. There is nothing unusual about that. Having said that, if the noise continues longer than approximately 60 seconds, this could suggest an electrical problem. To avoid risking a house fire, call a furnace repair professional to solve the problem promptly.
Thwapping Sounds
The blower motor should operate properly when the furnace activates. If you hear a thwapping sound that quickly picks up speed as the blower gets going, this is a strong indication that something is stuck in the fan, and the blades are hitting it with each rotation. A straightforward repair should be all you need to stop this annoying furnace noise and protect against damaging the blower motor.
Rattling Furnace
A few different problems can cause your furnace to rattle. It might be as easy as a loose door cover, so check this first. If the rattling continues, the most plausible root cause is a declining blower motor. Treat this as a warning sign to have your furnace repaired before it breaks down completely.
Whistling or Vibrating
Noises such as a teapot whistle or the hum of a vibrating item are signals of a problem with the air intake vent. If the whistling or vibrating comes from a vent, your ductwork is likely separated somewhere, allowing conditioned air to leak. These aren’t emergency matters, but if you address it promptly, you’ll pay less on your heating and cooling bills in the long run.
Schedule Furnace Repair with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning
Are you undecided whether the furnace noises you hear match these descriptions? Perhaps nothing is wrong, but for your peace of mind, the best thing to do is to call a professional. At Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning, we have emergency furnace repair to get your unit functioning properly as fast as possible. Be confident knowing that we stand behind our work with a one-year, 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re disappointed with our work anytime in the next 12 months, we’ll fix it! For more information or to arrange a furnace repair visit, please speak a Service Experts office near you.